Stand and heater



. Feb. 6, 1940. R. w. CHRISTOFFERSON 2,189,155

STAND AND HEATER Filed Feb. 2, 1938 INVENTOR. F8 0 RA 1. PH W C HR/S TOFFERSO/V ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to a stand and heater for pitchers and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a stand wherein a plurality of pitchers can be held together conveniently and can be easily put on or taken off a suitable heater.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder for a plurality of containers, such as pitchers, which can be utilized as a stand on a table and the like, and also as a carrier wherein the pitchers, hot or cold, may be conveniently carried from one place to another, and also which can be used in connection with a heater to hold the pitchers or containers in alignment on the heater so as to selectively heat either one or all of said pitchers or containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which for instance may be used as syrup and butter heater in connection with a usual 0 wafile set or the like, which heater includes a removable stand adapted to hold suitable pitchers either on the table or on the heater and means to locate said. stand on the heater so that the pitchers are positioned in proper alignment with the heating elements of the heater.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stand and heater for pitchers which is highly useful and simple in construction. Convenience of arrangement, lightness and comparative inexpense of manufacture are further objects which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the invention.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction thereof without depating from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the following specification, and as defined in the following claims; hence I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the said device and parts as described in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawing for the illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of my stand.

Fig. 2 is an end view of my stand.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the stand on the heater, and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the heater.

In its general organization my invention includes a stand 1 which is adapted to hold. containers such as pitchers 8 either on or off a heater 9. The stand I is provided with a baseor feet I I I which project downwardly and outwardly from the stand 1' so as to space the bottom of the stand and the bottoms of the pitchers 8 from a table or the like when the stand is off theheater. However due to the outward extension of the feet I l the same 10 are in an out of way position relatively to the heater 9 so as to allow the seating of the bottoms of the pitchers 8 on the heater.

In detail the stand 1 includes a hub l2 from which extend reinforcing lugs l3 both horizonll tally and vertically so as to form lateral supports and braces for the support of receptacles or cups IA. The cups M are so formed as to conform to the periphery of the pitchers 8 near the lower ends of the latter so as to support the pitchers 8 securely. The feet ll preferably extend from the respective cup portions of the stand 1.

Each cup I4 is adapted to allow the heating of the bottom of a pitcher B therein when placed on said heater. For this purpose the preferred 3 arrangement is to have the cups !4 bottomless or open at the bottom and to have the shape of each cup I4 formed in a substantially frusto-conical shape narrowing toward the lower edge thereby to accommodate several sizes of pitchers with- 80 in a given range. There may be any number of cups I4 provided in the stand 1, although for the use herein illustrated two cups I4 will suffice. Thus the cups M are fixed in a unit into the stand I in a definite relation to the hub 12 of said 85 stand 1.

A stand 16 extends upwardly from the hub 12 and terminates at its upper end in a handle such as a loop ll. The entire stand I therefore may be lifted and carried as a unit with the pitchers 8 therein and may serve as an attractive fixture on a table or the like. In order to allow the handling of the stand 1 either on or off the heater 9 without pads or heat insulating holders, the feet I! are preferably made of insulating rna terial, such as rubber, and the stem l6 or handle IT, or other parts of the stand I are suitably insulated from the heat of the pitchers 8 or of the heater 9.

In the bottom of the hub 12 is provided an 60 axial socket l8 of polygonal, preferably rectangular cross section, which fits over a guide post I9 upwardly extended from the center of the heater 9. The guide post 19 is the same cross sectional shape as that of the socket I8 so that the stand I can be placed on the heater 9 only in the relative position predetermined by the positions of the socket l8 and the guide post IS.

A plurality of suitable heating elements such as separate electric heating elements 2! are provided in recesses on the top of the body of the heater 9. The heating elements 2! are so arranged that'whenever the stand I is placed over the heater, in the position determined by the socket I8 and the guide post l9, then the cups M are suitably aligned with the heating elements of the heater 9 and the bottoms of the pitchers 8 protrude into said recesses 20. In the herein illustrated form the heating elements 2| are arranged in the same-relation to the guide post l9 as the relation of the cups M is to the socket 83, so that a cup 14 is automatically aligned with a corresponding heating element 2!, as the stand 1 is placed on the heater, by reason of the coaction of the socket l8 of the stand I and the guide post l9 of the heater 9.

The heating elements 2! are separately controlled, preferably independently of each other, for instance by means of separate usual electric switches 22. Electric current may be connected to the heater 9 in a suitable manner such as by the usual cord and plug, not shown, that may be connected to the prong terminals 23 of the heater. For facilitating handling there are provided insulated, preferably hard rubber feet 24 and handles 26 on the body of the heater 9.

The stand and heater heretofore described is adapted for convenient use without adjustment or setting up. The usual pitches 8 that are heated are provided with insulated handles 21 whereby they can be easily lifted out of the stand I 'for pouring out their contents. I The stand 1 may be taken off the heater when no further heating is required and then conveniently set on a table directly without the bottoms of hot pitchers 8 touching the table. For heating the pitchers 8 the stand "I can, be readily lifted and placed over theheater 9 thereby automatically aligning the cups l4 and the pitchers 8 therein with the heating elements 2| of the heater 9.

' Thereafter by turning one or the other or all the switches 22 on, the selective heating of the pitchers and of their contents is accomplished. The device heretofore described may be designed in attractive sets conforming to its various uses. For instance it may conform to a waffle set for the purpose of heating and keeping warm and serving of syrup and butter in the usual syrup and butter pitchers or the like. In all'its forms and embodiments however the device provides for the easy supporting and handling of containers for the purpose of heating and serving or holding of the same and their contents.

Having thus described my invention what I now claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In combination a heater, a guide on the heater, a plurality of heating elements on the heater, a stand, a plurality of cups on the stand adapted to removably hold containers to be heated, means on the stand for engaging said guide so as to locate the stand in a predetermined position on the heater so that individual cups are aligned with the respective heating elements, supports extended from the stand on which the stand rests when oil the heater, said supports being arranged so as to be in an out of way position when the stand is on the heater, and said cups being open at the bottom so as to allow the bottoms of said containers to extend below the cups onto said heating elements but not to the level of said supports.

2. In combination a heater, a guide on the heater, a plurality of separately controlled heating elements on the heater, a stand, a plurality of cups on the stand adapted to removably hold containers to be heated, and means on the stand for engaging said guide so as to locate the stand in a predetermined position on the heater so that individual cups are aligned with the respective heating elements.

3. A stand for pitchers and the like, comprising a hub terminating in a handle, and a plurality of cuplike receptacles extended from the hub for supporting individual pitchers so as to space the bottoms of the pitchers from a supporting surface but allow the bottoms of said pitchers to be engaged by heating elements. I

4. A heating support for containers comprising a stand, a plurality of spaced receptacles on the stand each being adapted to hold a container to be heated, a heater, a plurality of heating elements on the heater, a guide on the heater, and means on the stand for engaging said guide so as to locate a receptacle over each of said heating elements.

5. A heating support for containers comprising a stand, a plurality of spaced receptacles on the stand each being adapted to hold a container to be heated, a heater, a plurality of heating elements on the heater, a guide on the heater, and means on the stand for engaging said guide so as to locate a receptacle over each of said heating elements, each heating element being individually controlled.

6. In combination a plurality of bottomless cups connected together to form a unitary stand, each cup being adapted to hold a container to be heated, a plurality of heating elements held in a relation conforming to the arrangement of said cups in the unit, and means to guide the unit of cups on the heater elements so as to align the cups with the respective heating elements.

'7. The combination with a heater having a plurality of separate heating elements, of a stand, a plurality of cups on the stand corresponding to said heating elements, a guide post on the heater, and means on the stand for engaging said guide post when the stand is placed on the heater so as to locate'said cups in predetermined position relatively to the heating elements.

8. The combination with a heater having a plurality of separate heating elements, of a stand,

a plurality of cups on the stand corresponding to said heating elements, a guide post on the heater, and means on the stand for engaging said guide post when the stand is placed on the heater so as to locate said cups in predetermined position relatively to the heating elements, and heat insulated legs on the stand so arranged as to extend into an out of Way position when the stand is on the heater.

9. The combination with a heater having a plurality of separate heating elements, of a stand, a plurality of cups on the stand corresponding to said heating elements, a guide post on. the heater, and means on the stand for engaging said guide post when the stand is placed on the heater so as to locate said cups in me determined position relatively to the heating elements, each cup being open at the bottom so as to allow the bottom of a pitcher to protrude through the same and to said heating elements.

RALPH W. CHRISTOFFERSON.- 

